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SERMON, 



DELIVERED AT THE INTERMENT 
; OF 

\:0L. THOMAS WATERMAN, 



WHO DIED SUDDENLY, AT LEBANOJNT, N. H. 

February 20, 1838.... Aged 71 years. 

BY 

REV. PHINEHAS COOKE, 

It 

Pastor of the Congregational Church in said toion. 



PRINTED AT THE REQUEST, AND FOR THE SPECIAL 
BENEFIT OF THE AFFLICTED FAMILY. 



c^T. MANN, PRINTER. 




/ 0#» This discourse appeal in its present form, to 

gratify the earnest desires of the bereaved relatives. — 
The writer is fully conscious, that the interest taken in 
it when delivered, was owing to circimstmces. not to 
any intrinsic merit. Nothing, but the hope that it may 
prove beneficial to those for whom it was first preach- 
ed, now printed, could induce its author to have it be- 
come more publick. 



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MATIIF.VV XXIV. 4:2—" Walch therefore, for ye know not wliat hour your 
liord doth come." 

When the Almighty speaks to the children of men 
ill solemn, impressive language, like that suggested by 
the present occasion, it becomes his ministers to be- 
ware how they attempt to render his av/ful voice more 
emphatick. 

There are certain providences, so striking, so ad- 
monitory to mankind, that they say to the astonished 
beholders — "Be still, and knov/ that I am God." — 
Such was the affliction God imposed on his servant 
Job. His three friends sat dov.n with him upon the 
ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake 
a word unto him, for they saw his grief was great. — 
There was sufficient in the exhibition of God's afflic- 
tive providence, to furnish materials for silent, solemn 
meditation, during a whole week. Such are many a- 
larming providences at this day. 

A fellow mortal, from apparent health, in a moment, 
drops into eternity. Sympathy, that most amiable of 
the relicks of the fall, causes those acquainted with 
the providence, to rush immediately into the circle of 
the afflicted family. When arrived, no one is disposed 
to break the silence. The mind is so absorbed in the 
awful scene, that for a while no one is disposed to 
speak, when God seems so near with his holy and 
righteous providence. Silence is the best interpreter 
of grief. Such are the feelings suggested by the pre» 



sent occasion. It is with much fear and trembling, I 
break in upon the solemnity of this impressive scen^ 
But here are weeping relatives to be consoled, neig, 
bors and friends to be warned to be ready for their ow 
great and last change, and the community around, to be 
entreated to prepare to meet their God. Jesus, though, 
deeply afflicted at the death of Lazarus, did not let it 
pass without making the event instructive and profita- 
ble, by communicating divine truth. A feeble attempt 
to make the present occasion profitable to the living, 
is the only inducement I have in the present remarks. 
In doing which I shall 

Shew that God has, in his holy word, apprized the 
children of men that death may overtake them sud- 
denly ; 

That this solemn declaration has been confirmed by 
his providence ; 

Then present some considerations suggested by the 
subject. 

I. God has, in his holy word, apprized the children 
of men that they must not only die, but 7nat/ die sud- 
denly. 

This is implied in the sentence passed upon the firs 
sinful pair — " Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt tho 
return.** Leaving the time of their dissolution indel - 
nite, was sufficiently admonitory to prompt them to 1 
always ready, for they knew not the moment, the hou 
or the day when the son of man would call for them 
But God has given many express declarations to this 
point. " The voice said unto me cry. And I said 
what shall I cry ? All flesh is grass, and the goodli- 
ness thereof as the flower of the field. The grass 
witliereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the 



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Lord bloweth upon it ; surely the people is grass." 
" For man also kuoweth not his time ; as the fishes 
that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are 
cau"-ht in a snare, so are the sons of men snared in 
an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them." 
" Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowestnot 
what a day may bring forth." " Go to now ye that 
say, to-day, or to-morrow, we will go into such a city, 
and continue there a year, and buy, and sell and get 
gain, whereas ye know not not what shall be on the 
morrow. For what is your life ? It is even as a va- 
pour that appeareth for a little while, and then vanish- 
eth away. For ye ought to say if the Lord will, we 
shall live, and do this, or that." To these we subjoin 
the solemn caution of the text : " Watch therefore, for 
ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." Many 
declarations of like import might be cited to prove that, 
after the fall, God intended that man should be made 
sensible that his breath was in his nostrils, and that it 
might be taken away any moment when the Giver of 
life pleased. 

IL The providences of God in all ages, have cor- 
roborated the truth, that men may die suddenly. This 
was true of the companion of the prophet Ezekiel. — 
" And the word of the Loid came unto me saying, son 
of man. Behold I take away the desire of thine eyes 
with a stroke" " So I spake to the people in the 
morning, and in the mening my wife died." The pi- 
ous Shunamite Avas culled to part with her son in an 
unexpected hour. '• And when the child was grown, 
it fell on a day that he went out to his father to the 
reapers. And he said, my head, my head. And he 
said carry him to his mother. And when he was 



brought to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon 
and he died." Well in the morning, dead at noon. In 
a most impressive manner was God's word confirmed 
by his providence in the death of Job's children. The 
awful tidings came to his ears, " that his sons and 
daughters were eating, and drinking wine in their eld- 
est brother's house, and behold there came a great 
wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners 
of the house and it fell upon the young men and they 
are dead, and I only have escaped alone to tell thee." 
Annanias and his wife died instantly by the judgment 
of God. The manner people are removed does not al- 
ways indicate the future purposes of God concerning 
them. Both his children and enemies have suddenly 
departed this life. Some eminent saints have passed 
instantly from time to eternity. So died Moses. After 
performing all the work the Lord gave him to do, he 
went at God's bidding to the top of the mount, and 
there died. So died Eli. When the sad tale came to 
his ears that the ark of the Lord was taken, and re- 
moved into the hands of the enemies of the God of Is- 
rael, he fell from off his seat backward, and his neck 
brake and he died." Some godly ministers have died 
in their pulpits, while instructing their fellow men the 
way to eternal life. Their spirits have arisen from the 
lower to the upper temple ; and, while alluring their 
hearers to " brighter worlds," have literally " led the 
way." Had I died while writing this sermon; should 
I drop during its delivery ; or should any one of this 
audience die before these exercises close, it would be 
a no more surprising event than has often taken place 
before. Among the deaths which have occurred in 
this town during the two last years, ten have been sud- 



den, supposed to be caused by apoplexy. This is one 
fourth of the whole number. Does not this plainly 
demonstrate, that man knoweth not the hour when his 
Lord Cometh ? It is supposed by some that the num- 
ber of sudden deaths in the community has increased 
of late, even allowing for the increased population. — 
May it not be in consequence of the disregard paid by 
heedless mortals to the call of the Gospel ? God, Al- 
mighty, will be heard by those in the enjoyment of 
such privileges as we possess. If men will not be en- 
treated by the mild persuasives of the Gospel to con- 
sider their latter end, they must be admonished by the 
awful dispensations of his holy providence. "God 
hath spoken once, yea twice, but man perceiveth it 
not." A community, a church, or family, may have 
so disregarded the merciful invitations of the Almighty; 
so turned a deaf ear to the sweet sounds of gospel grace, 
as to lay the all-wise Governor under a holy necessity to 
make a new and terrilick exhibition of himself in view 
of such regardless mortals. " He that hath ears to 
hear, let him hear what the spirit saith," what the gos- 
pel saith, and then he will be spared the providential 
alarm. 

The subject suggests the following considerations : 
1 If God has apprized man in his holy word, and 
confirmed it by his providence, that he may be called 
away by sudden deal!), then we see the daring presump- 
tion of laying out plans for business, which will take 
considerable tiiue to accomplish. Many cautions are 
given in the divine word against such impiety. Who- 
ever does this, without the proviso, " if the Lord will," 
casts contempt on the Divine government. He calcu- 
ktes ou uu.e wu.ch ia tat Lotd's — on health, which is 



at the Lord's disposal — on prosperity, which depends 
entirely on the Lord's hlessing. He trespasses on 
God's dominion, tempts his indignation, insults his pre- 
rogative ; and nothing less than a miracle of mercy will 
preserve him from sudden destruction, in his mad ca- 
reer. Such cases of sad reverse are constantly occur- 
ing. Man appoints, God disappoints — man contrives, 
God defeats — man says to his soul, " Soul, thou hast 
much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, 
eat, drink, and be merry" — God says, "Thou fool, this 
night shall thy soul be required of thee, then whose 
shall those things be, which thou hast provided ?" 

2. Such is our liability to sudden death, we see the 
wisdom of being in constant preparation. " Watch 
therefore, for ye know not the hour your Lord doth 
come." The whole t^nour of scripture, and the deal- 
ings of providence, shew most clearly, the awful haz- 
ard of procrastinating the duties of religion. The man 
who neglects due preparation for the future world, 
treats the concerns of eternity as he would not those of 
time. "But know this, (says our Lord,) that if the 
good man of the house had known in what watch 
the thief would come, he would have watclied, 
and would not have suflfered his house to be broken 
up. Therefore, be ye also ready, for in such an 
hour as ye think not, the son of man cometh." — 
The salvation of the soul should be secured as the first, 
the most important business of life. " Seek first the 
kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other 
things shall be added unto you." Our liability to sud- 
den dissolution, shews the presumption of depending on 
the time of sickness for the work of preparation. Mul- 
titudes have been disappointed in such expectations. 



9 

The last sickness comes. It is too severe to allow 
the suircrer to collect his tliouglits on the indispensa- 
ble duties of repcntunce, failh, and holiness, without 
which no man shall see the Lord. Or a delirium sei- 
zes the brain, and the distressed mortal becomes a ma- 
niac, and thus deports the present life. Or there was 
no last sickness. A paralytic shock — and, the man is 
no more. To avoid these dreadful alternatives, regard, 
ye living, ye rational beings, what God says in his 
holy word. " Hear ye, and gi\e ear, and be not proud, 
for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord, 
your God, before he cause darkness, and before your 
feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye 
look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and 
make it gross darkness." 

3. As men are liable to die at any moment, we 
should so live as not to be surprized at the sudden de- 
parture of our friends. 

It is one of the blessings confered on the good man, 
that with equanimity he is enabled to meet the vicissi- 
tudes of life. " He shall not be afraid of evil tidings, 
his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. His heart is 
established, he shall not be afraid." When death, at 
an unexpected hour, enters a family, and prostrates one 
of its members, great consternation often ensues, and 
all are as much overwhelmed as though no event of 
the kind had ever before occured. In this unexpected 
stroke, God has done nothing different from what he 
told mankind they might expect. No doubt the af- 
fliction is great, and it ought in a suitable manner to be 
regarded by survivors. If we possessed that holy 
trust in God, which the religion of the gospel enjoins, 
we should be calm under the heaviest calamity ; and 



10 

be ready to say, "Even so, Father, for so il seemeth 
good in thy sight." Suppose a family ardently pious, 
walking together in christian love, all fellow heirs of 
the grace of life. While in this happy condition, one 
is suddenly called away by death — what should be the 
conduct of the survivors ? All should say, " It is the 
Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." "There 
is a great void in the family circle ;" true, but the fam- 
ily in heaven has received a new member. The de- 
parted saint has only been translated from Christ's 
household on earth, to his redeemed in heaven. And 
it is a truth not duly considered, that the sum of hap- 
piness in this family, including the departed member, 
is augmented. The member in glory enjoys so much 
more than while here, as far to overbalance the loss 
felt by his departure. Not one of the weeping survi- 
vors could desire his return. All will watch and pray, 
and live and act, that they may, at any hour, go to 
dwell with him in the paradise above. Thus, as this 
holy family, one after another, takes his flight, the re- 
maining members become more weaned from the 
world. At length, all are gathered into bliss. It is in 
this way that God enjoins every family to live; to be 
always ready to part with each other, and not be over- 
taken with surprize at whatever hour the son of man 
-Cometh. 

4. As God's providence is in conformity with his 
word, clieeiful submission should be yielded to his 
sovereign will. His afflictive dispensations are one 
branch of his wise and righteous government. Man, 
in his fallen state, cannot be governed without them. 
Such discipline is peculiarly needful for the Christian. 
What would have David, or Peter have been without 



II 

cliastizement > What smail altainnionLs in holiness 
would the church have made, had not its Lord caused 
it occasionally to pass through the furnace ?" Con- 
cerning his ancient people God said, "Behold I have 
refined thee, but not with silver ; I have chosen thee 
in the furnace of afiiiction." " And be shall sit as a re- 
finer and purifier of silver ; and he shall purify the 
sons of Levi, and purge thera as gold and silver, that 
they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteous- 
ness." The refiner of silver sits watching the melted 
mass, until he can see his own image in it ; then it is 
considered sufiiciently puiified. Thus God keeps some 
of his children in the furnace of amictioi!, until they 
become so purified from the dross of sin, as to reflect 
his image in their hearts, and his holy religion in their 
lives. The apostle, addressing Christians, says, " Ye 
are not sons if ye be without chastisement, whereof 
all are partakers." " Whom the Lord loveth, he 
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiv- 
eth." The Judge of all the earth will do right. — 
There is a favorable time for a Christian to die. It 
comes, when he has accomplished the object for which 
God brought him into the world. It arrives when he 
has made as much advance in grace, as God intended 
by his conversion ; and when the aiEiction is best 
adapted to produce spiritual good in his surviving 
friends. Infinite v^'isdcrn adapts his government to the 
best good of all concerned. Is the providence dark ? 
" Justice and judgment are (he habitation of his 
throne." And if thou "knowest not what he does 
now, thou shah know hereafter." "All things work 
togeiher for good to them that love God ; to them that 
arc called aecordiiig to his purpose." Let the scul who 



12 

trusts in God say, in the most trying hour of bereave- 
ment, " Father, not my will, but thy will be done." 

Such submission becomes her from whom God has, 
with a sudden stroke, taken the companion of her 
youth and life. In some respects, the providence is 
peculiarly afflictive ; yet there are many consoling cir- 
cumstances attending the event. Your husband was 
not taken until he had arrived at more than threescore 
and ten ; nor until he had helped you train up a large 
family to manhood; not, I trust, until he had given 
you comfortable evidence of a preparation for death. 
At the appointed time, he is taken ; not with the dis- 
tress usually attending a lingering consumption , not 
with the gnawings of a malignant cancer; but by a sud- 
den call from the Giver of life. Having passed forty- 
seven years in the domestick relation with him who 
now slumbers in death, you have much occasion to be 
thankful that the disruption of these tender ties was 
delayed so long. You will with holy resignation, adopt 
the language of Job — " The Lord gave, the Lord hath 
taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord," 

To the surviving children, this providence is admoni- 
tory and instructive. Your tried friend, your coun- 
sellor, your father, is no more. By his death, new and 
great responsibilities come upon you. To supply his 
place in his family, among the neighbours, as a citizen, 
Avill demand of you peculiar exertions. He so lived 
as to benefit the generation in which he mingled.* — 

* Col Thomas Waterman was thn son of Mr Silas and Mrs. Silence Water- 
man His parents wore amongrhe first settlers of the town. Our fathers had 
an energy of miiul, correspoiuiing with the hardihood of their bodies These 
elements were sufficiently developed, to shew what might have been expected, 
had they enjoyed the literary privileges of the present age. Misbirth is record- 
ed Jnly jtf- 1766 In 179f<, he was chosen one of the Select men of ihe town, 
and served in that office, and as Representative in the Slate Legislature, during 
the following thirty years ; more than any other person- No name, since the 
-civil organizaiiou of tlie town, is so often found on its records, as Moderator, 



13 

Thus you, and all, ought to live, that the world might 
be made better by it. How many of the human race 
iso " pass their sojourning here" as to be the mere in- 
cumbents of life. The epitaph written by Moses, for 
so many of the people before the flood, would serve as 
well for multitudes at the present day : " They were 
born — they begat sons and daughters — they died.'''' All 
else, if recorded, would not pay posterity for the peru- 
Isal. In a world so full of sin, where the moral ele- 
ments are in such confusion, needing all the energies in 
every lover of his country and of his species, to stay 
khe disorder and rectify the wildness, he must indeed 
be a slothful servant, who will not lend a helping hand. 
May you possess the political honesty, patriotic be- 
nevolence, and useful life, of him whose departure 
you now deplore. In this way only, the void can be 
filled ; and instead of the parents there will be the chil- 
dren, a generation arising to serve the Lord. 

The citizens of this place claim a share in the loss 
sustained by the death of their fellow townsman. One 
of your fathers is gone, and has left behind him an ex- 
ample of attachment to the political interests of the 
town, worthy of your imitation. He began his days 
in that gloomy period which resulted in the foundation 
of this Republic. He witnessed the time that " tried 
men's souls." He died, when great responsibilities 
rest on every friend to his country, lest the liberties 
purchased with the best blood of the fathers, should be 
wrested from their children. 

May we all act well our part, as men, as citizens, 

Town Clerk, Representative, and Select man, as that of Thomas Waterman — 
He was th« firsr malo child born in Lebanon ; and to the <lay of his death, might 
be said to be the walking history of ihe town. He came down tons from anoth- 
er age, to shew the present generation, what polilicaJ integrity, ftrmpaUiotisBJe^ 
ana sletljng worth, dwelt in our foiclatiiers» 



M 



and as christians. And when we have served our gen- 
eration faithfully, may we find a peaceful resting p'.ce 
among the sepulchres of our fathers. 




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